The High 5 Prayer Works By Brandon L. Smith

A couple of days ago I wrote about the High 5 Prayer and talked about the impact it has made in my life. My church has been going through 21 days of prayer and they gave each member a hand out with 5 key strategies for prayer. You can catch up on the blog here. Also I failed to tell you what church I've been attending so here's a link for you to browse on by. OneChapel

I wanted to share a quick testimony of the power of prayer as it relates to the prayer points I have been encouraged to pray with. My mother-in-law rides horses for competition in the rodeo circuit and has recently earned herself a spot at a world competition in Georgia. The horse she competes with is big, powerful and fast. They call him Hollywood and recently he's been acting like a star with all his winnings. Earlier this week my mother-in-laws neighbor called to share her concern about a horse that was rolling around at the ranch. For those of you who don't know much about horses they don't tend to lie around or roll in the dirt for long periods of time. When they do it almost always means trouble. This was the case with Hollywood. His small intestine was twisted and he had been rolling around to try to make himself feel better only making the matter worse. They call this condition colic. I don't know a lot about horses but I was told that day that a high percentage of horses that develop colic don't make it. When we found out the news from the vet that this was the case with Hollywood doubt, fear and sadness crept into the room. It quickly made its way into our hearts as we pondered the idea of my mother-in-law loosing a horse and not making it to the world competition after so much training and hard work.

And then, like a light of hope shining in darkness, my wonderful wife says something to the tune of, "We're not going to accept this. The Bible tells us that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for it will be done for them by the Father in heaven. So we are going to come together, pray and believe God for a different outcome." She had remembered the strategy. She wasn't going to quit. She knew better and she flexed the prayer muscle. My faith was immediately bolstered and I too recalled the scripture she brought to our attention. I also recalled John 14:12-14 telling us that we should pray in the name of Jesus. We stopped what we were doing. We gathered together. We reminded God of His word to us and we prayed for a different outcome. We prayed for that horse to be healed. 

Seems silly doesn't it? Praying for a horse? Doesn't God have something better to do than to listen to His people pray for a horse? Isn't there something better these people could be praying for? Well you might be right but what you don't know is that my mother and father-in-law don't just go to these events to win a race. They believe that this is their mission field and have asked the Lord to open doors for them to share Christ at these events. The people in this circle pay a lot more attention if you're winning. The in-laws felt the Lord was honoring their prayers as fellow competitors would stop to talk about the horse and they would tactfully turn the conversation into a soul winning opportunity. Their pretty sneaky like that. 

Back to the story. The vet told the in-laws that this horse would probably not make it through the night and asked what procedures they would like to take in the event the medicines weren't working. There was an option for a surgery but in the case of this horse a surgery wouldn't have done much good because of the severity of the condition. They sadly, and with much heart break, told the vet to put the horse down if that's what it came to. 

Now remember, we were praying. We prayed that God would heal the horse and that the doctors wouldn't have an explanation for the healing that was going to take place. The next morning the call came. It was the doctor. We gathered around the phone even though we knew we couldn't all hear the news at once. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the listener's face as they received the news to tell us the outcome. Are you ready? The horse made it! That's right Hollywood made it through the night. The message from the vet was that Hollywood was touch and go through the night. He also said there was a point they thought he was taking a turn for the worst. Something happened though. At the point in which they thought the horse was going to die Hollywood began to climb back to health. The vet specifically said "I have no idea what caused the change." Well, we know what caused the change. We prayed. We prayed the scripture. We agreed out loud. We called upon the name of Jesus. 

God 1. Colic 0.

The High 5 Prayer by Brandon L. Smith

Recently my church has been going through 21 days of prayer. A time specifically set aside for the body of Christ to engage in prayer together. The church has set up times through out the week for worship and prayer along with encouraging us to go on prayer walks around a local community to see the advancement of the Gospel of Christ. I for one, have been extremely encouraged and challenged during this time. 

I've had the privilege of growing up in a praying family. I've heard my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins pray mighty prayers using their relation with Christ and Scripture as their guide. But during these past couple of weeks my eyes have been opened to praying in a new way. Well I guess it's not really new at all. I have known about praying in this manner for as long as I have known how to pray. Remember, based on my family history I should be an expert prayer warrior guy. It seems however that I had forgotten some key elements in my prayer time. Here's a few things I've learned in the past couple of weeks from my church that I think we should remember, recount and reengage in our prayer time. These points have inspired my prayer time and I have seen the fruits of my prayer. Yes, fruit, meaning that they have been answered.

Pray the Word

• Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
• It is the best source material for our prayers.
• Pray the scripture back to God.

Pray in Jesus Name

• John 14:12-14 Very truly I tell, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
• You have the authority of Jesus when you pray.
• You belong to the family, you can use his name.

Pray in the Holy Spirit

• Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.
• Pray under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
• Pray in your prayer language.

Pray Out Loud

• Matthew 18:19-20 "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
• The power of agreement is in the relationships.
• Engage your whole person (body, soul and spirit) in prayer.

Pray Continually

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
• The time for prayer is now and always.
• We should go about our lives with an attitude of prayer.

3 Helpful Tips When Leading Spontaneous Worship By Brandon L Smith

I once heard it said that worship is much like a Hallmark card.  When we receive a card from someone we look on the back and say "yep that's a Hallmark card."  We quickly skim the inside comments written by those clever writers all the while trying to locate where the good stuff is.  It's that special note that someone took the time and effort to write.  It doesn't mean the card itself isn't good but we want to read what came from someone's heart and soul.  

As worship leaders we look for prewritten music to fill our scheduled times to sing as a congregation.  Those songs for the most part are very well written songs of worship and adoration to God.  Much like finding a Hallmark card with a prewritten note.  But let's not forget about our special note inside the card.  It's that spot in the music when things seem to hold on and a song begins to spring up within the depths of our hearts and souls.  We need to sing it out.  Our congregations need to learn what it is to sing their own songs, their own special notes, back to the Lord.

Here's a few things to think about if you're trying to take advantage of spontaneous worship in your church. 

1.  Plan It Out

Just because we use the term spontaneous doesn't necessarily mean it isn't planned or practiced.  Working and practicing with your team for spontaneous times of worship is a must if you want to be good at it.  Don't assume your team knows exactly where you want to go with a song.  Sketch out a framework and practice.

2.  The Easy 1 Chord

Many times in worship music we end on the one cord.  Instead of making that the end note why note stay there for a bit and allow it to build back up. Playing a 3-4 suspension will work during this time as long as you don't go too crazy with it.  Choose how many bars you will do this with your team so they will know and not feel left out or awkward about the moment.  Then take it back to the chorus one last time and end the song.  You can sing your own song during the build up and encourage the congregation to do the same.

3.  Use the Bridge

Take the chord progression of the bridge and play this as an interlude back to the chorus.  This is another place you can lead your congregation in spontaneous worship.

Above all remember that just because you plan a specific time for spontaneous worship doesn't always mean you should do it.  Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and your pastoral leadership during these times.  Using caution and respect will go a very long way.

Making Harder Music Easier To Play by Brandon L Smith

Ever hear those songs that are so well produced with all kinds of ear candy and want to play them in your service but know it will be impossible to sound the same way? The studio is a wonderful place to bust out all the stops if you have the time and money.  For many of us the simple reality is we don't.  But let's not let that cause us to quit and not even try.  Remember that great music starts with simplicity.  The greatest symphonies started out with one melody, one thought, and one expression.  Later on came all the bells and whistles.

Sometimes as worship leaders we are fortunate to have professional musicians and vocalists playing and singing on our teams.  But lets face it, most of us don't have that luxury at every position.  So how do we pull our resources together to produce a quality sound on our worship teams? Here's a few things I do to help my team be successful with difficult music.

1.  Keep it simple 

This means take the frame work of a song and its basic melody and make that your main focus.  Don't worry about all the extras like: How they got that drum loop to do that, or wishing you had a guitar player who could play that way.  Take the time and get the chord progressions and transitions down.  Use what you have to make good music.  Remember you're doing this so others can worship with you not so that you can be exalted and lifted up for your musical genius.

2. Practice goes a long way

I really don't think I need to go on about this point.  Just make it happen and be productive.

3. Listen

Listen to other groups play the same songs you are wanting to incorporate into your sets.  This will help you gain perspective on how to do things differently.  It might spark some creativity of your own and allow your team to have a greater appreciation of the song.

4. Ownership

I share this phrase a lot during practices. "We don't have to do it like they do on the cd."  If your team plays songs the same way the original artist does you might find your music lacking ownership.  Mix it up.  Change the intro or the ending to allow the song to take on a different feel. Let your team help you do this and they will take greater pride knowing it's a sound they helped with.

You can accomplish great things with your worship team if you'll take the time to break things down and make them simple.  I tell my teams that if we will do the simple with precision we will sound as professional as anybody else out there.  

The Social Network By Brandon L. Smith

For several years now social networking has been on the rise.  Facebook and twitter along with others have quickly become the way of transporting all kinds of information to the world around us.  The technology known as the smart phone has helped this phenomenon reach its epic proportions because of the ability to network on the go.  Take one picture, upload it, and one can share that experience with hundreds at a time.  People share anything from birthday wishes and relationship statuses to comments on current events and political view points.  We can interact with our favorite bands and follow the life styles of the rich and famous.  Social networks have also been helpful in the ministries of the church.  It has enabled the church to connect with people like never before.  It has become a wonderful tool when keeping people up to date on events and news.  All in all social networking has helped make a big world smaller. 

These tools can, however, misplace something very crucial to the inner workings of our lively hoods.  Relationships.  It seems that many people have traded in real, true, heart felt relationships for a simple "like" button.  Often social media is used as an invisible wall of protection to hide behind as people air their dirty laundry and hurl out accusations and insults toward others.  Most people, I believe, would not act that way in person but somehow feel empowered behind a computer or phone.

Here's a few things to think about when using the world of social media.

1.   Everybody Can See

I find it strange that people quickly forget their words on social media can be seen by others. If you think what you are posting might be offensive or incriminating it probably is.  So maybe it shouldn't be posted.  Not everything in your brain needs to be verbalized. Use a filter.  It will help you go far in life.

2.  Encourage

If you take the time to be positive in your posts you'll find that more people want to engage with you.  This will actually help create a positive persona in the "real world."  

3.   The Grip

Don't let social media take a grip of your life so that you can't function in relationships with out it.  Make a point to spend quality time with your friends.  There will be less miscommunication concerning intentions and motives if you'll spend face to face time with people that are close to you.  

Remember that social media is a tool meant to help us keep in touch and network with others.  It should not control our every move.  We should not count on it to give us the next step in our lives or be a substitute for relationships.

Hopefully you can apply some of this to your everyday use of social media.

Something Old Something New By Brandon L. Smith

I had a wonderful time through the Christmas holidays traveling and visiting with family.  The 
gifts for my two year old daughter were abundant from her grandparents.  It was wonderful to see her face light up after opening her presents with great anticipation.  As the time with family came to an end my wife and I stumbled upon a book.  When I say stumble upon I really mean my father-in-law suggested that we take a look at his new purchase.  It was a historical book charting the existence of a small town in central Texas.  The name of the town was San Saba.  We quickly became intrigued by this find and began to turn the pages of history.  We found a page dedicated to a man named James Reavis, my wife's grandfather.  It astounded us that he had accomplished so much.  With every line we read our amazement grew as a story unfolded of a man's past detailed in a history book.  We found out that he was appointed judge and started a police force just to name a couple of accomplishments.  Our minds became filled of a past we could only read and dream about. 

Not 24 hours later on the last leg of our trip we stopped to stay the night at my parents house.  My mother brought to the table what seemed to be an old photo album.  She opened it's contents to me and I saw a young man who had many of the same features my father had.  It was not my father though. This man was my grandfather.  His name was Forrest Smith.  The album shared the history of his time in the air force during World War II.  Close up pictures of Queen Mary, Princess Elizabeth, and Clark Gable caused my mind to wonder about the possibilities of what it was like to stand in the presence of such noble and famous people.  

You might be wondering how this story of my Christmas travels might be of help to you as a worship leader or pastor.  Well, it's all in the history.  Things that are old have reason to their existence.  If we will take the time to understand them we might find them useful in birthing creativity.  This is where the "something new" comes into play.  Our set times of worship through out the week can have a great impact if we will remember our songs of old.  They will be new to many that have never heard them and a friendly reminders to those that cherish them.  We may have to polish them up a bit musically or leave them just the way they were initially created.  Either way they can spark something new in us as we worship our King.  I'll leave you this quote from Winston Churchill to kick start your new year.

"The farther backward you look, the further forward you are likely to see."

Have a happy New Year.

The Brighter the Better? Maybe. By Brandon L. Smith

Modern day worship has proven itself a great marketing tool in churches across the nation.  Many times it's the very thing that attracts people to the church.  Churches on the cutting edge leave nothing to spare when it comes to theatrics while others take great lengths to remain nostalgic.  Both paths to attracting people have their own merit, but whether or not this new age of technology is marketing a pure heart of worship that exalts the almighty God is a topic for another post.  My focus here is to concentrate on how the lights, the camera, the great, or the small have potential to pull us away from the reason we gather to worship.  It's so easy to get caught up in the next best thing.  Better lights.  Better media.  Better gear.  Worship leaders and pastors have such a great responsibility to make every effort in keeping the main thing, the main thing.  As long as the focus remains on Christ everything else will fade away as merely a backdrop.  Here's a few things to think about when trying to figure out what effects to add to the worship scene in your church.

1.  Congregation

Every expression of the body of Christ is different.  Age and demographics can play a major role into what makes up the characteristics of a particular congregation.  These things should be looked at carefully.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't try new things or color outside the lines.  I am saying that when we do we should keep in mind the personality of our congregation.  A slight change in scenery can be an effective tool in worship to help people engage in a way they haven't before.  Just keep in mind who's worshiping with you to insure that everyone has a chance to participate.

2.  Media

There are so many graphic ideas and tools we can add to our worship in this category.  I expect that most churches don't have multiple screens for backgrounds, video, and lyrics.  Adding some color or a moving background to compliment the lyrics is a great way to engage worshipers if you only have one screen.  If a moving background is the choice for you then please make sure you can clearly see the lyrics over your graphic choice.  This same concept should be applied to still backgrounds.  The point of suggestion is to not add so much color and movement that it distracts people from worshiping God.   

3.  Lights

LEDs, moving lights, and color panels are all the rave these days.  I sometimes think we are of the mindset that if it's brighter, moves, and has more color options it's better.  Well this is true some of the time but not most of the time.  If your church has this capability keep in mind that less is more.  The mood of the lights should compliment the media.  What I mean by this is to match the colors of the media and lighting.  This will help keep a general theme through the worship experience and help people not get distracted with too much change during a set.  If your church doesn't have the latest in lighting gear try dimming or turning out a couple rows of lights to create a more intimate atmosphere during worship.  You'll then want to turn them back on for the message so people can read the Bible and see their notes.

Technology is a wonderful tool to have in the church.  Let's make sure that the message and worship of Jesus Christ stays at the forefront.  We do this by not allowing all the bells and whistles to dictate our plans for the Gospel.  Technology is a tool to compliment and reinforce the message of Jesus Christ which should be the main attraction and marketing tool we use in the church today and forever.  Knowing Christ and making Him known is something you can't go wrong with.